New Zealand beat Zimbabwe by 141 runs in 2nd ODI

WHANGAREI: Rob Nicol stroked his second one-day international century in anchoring New Zealand to a series-winning 141-run victory over Zimbabwe at Cobham Oval in Whangarei on Monday.

Nicol began slowly but accelerated towards the end of his 134-ball innings, which included 10 boundaries and six sixes, one of which sailed out of the ground, before he was dismissed for 146 in the 49th over.

His innings was the fifth-highest one-day score by a New Zealand player.

Nicol, who made a five-ball duck in the first match in Dunedin on Friday, also scored 108 not out on debut in Zimbabwe last year.

The visitors never threatened New Zealand’s 372 for six after they slumped to 17 for three following the dismissal of the side’s best batsman and captain Brendan Taylor for four.

Wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu (50) and Elton Chigumbura (63) provided some middle-order resistance however, with an 80-run partnership.

Jacob Oram, who had blasted 59 runs off 28 balls in New Zealand’s innings, finished with three for 29.

New Zealand had begun slowly with Zimbabwe restricting them to 10-0 off the first five overs before Martin Guptill (77) upped the rate and looked set for a century before he was caught in the deep as he and Nicol posted 131 for the first wicket.

Oram was promoted to number three to act as a pinch hitter and he belted five boundaries and four sixes in his short stay, as the hosts accelerated through their middle overs.

Nicol then combined with teenager Tom Latham (48) for a 92-run partnership in 47 balls at the death before he was caught in the deep in the penultimate over. Prosper Utseya finished with three for 71.

New Zealand won the first match of the three-game series by 90 runs and the final game is on Thursday in Napier before the two teams play two Twenty20 internationals.

Warm-Up Matches: South Africa Beats Zimbabwe By 8 Wickets

South Africa thrashed Zimbabwe by 8 wickets in its first warm-up match at Chennai on Saturday. Favorite Protease achieved the target of 153 easily.

Zimbabwe won the toss and decided to bat first. Brendan Taylor and C. Coventry provide a good start of 49 runs to their side. Coventry went back to pavilion after scoring 21 runs. His catch was taken by Imran Tahir on the ball of Morkel. Taibu could not score any run and caught by Smith, this time bowler was Morkel again. G. Lamb can score 11 runs, his catch was taken by de Villiers on the ball of Peterson. Captain E. Chigumbura could not opened his score account and went back in the result of a strong LBW appeal made by Peterson, he faced 4 balls. When the total of weak African side was 82 the resistance of Taylor ended and he gave the catch to de Villiers on the ball of Imran Tahir.

C. Ervine could not enter into double-figures and went back on the strong appeal of lbw made by Botha. He added 8 runs to his team’s total. R. Chakabva played faced 33 balls and scored 18. S. Williams shown a little bit resistance and scored 35 runs. He became run out on the direct threw of Plessis. P. Utseya can score 5 runs, he was bowled out by Tahir. S. Masakadza became the last wicket for South Africa; he went back with scoring any run. Imran Tahir was the wicket taker again. At the end Zimbabwe score was 152 with the run rate of 3.63.

M Morkel and Imran Tahir were prominent bowlers by taking 3, 3 wickets. Peterson took 2 wickets.

The target of 153 was easily chased by South Africa in 24^th over. Hashim Amla scored 45 runs he was caught by Taibu on the ball of Price. Captain Gram Smith went back after scoring 41. Kallis and de Villiers were not out 49 and 12 runs respectively when they got their target. Price and Lamb took one, one wicket.

Sri Lanka overwhelm Zimbabwe to win TNT

HARARE: A dominant Sri Lanka came to within a freak run-out of whitewashing Zimbabwe in the final of the Tri-nations tournament at Harare Sports Club here on Wednesday.

The Sri Lankans scored a leisurely 203-1 in 34.4 overs to win with ease in reply to Zimbabwe”s effort of 199 all out in 49 overs.

The run-out stood between Sri Lanka bowling out the entire Zimbabwe team and then overtaking their target score without the loss of a single wicket.

Although Zimbabwe”s Brendan Taylor was named man of the series afterwards it was Tillikeratne Dilshan who stole the day.

He was named man of the match after amassing 108 not out, both for his score and for his captaincy, with his 100 coming up in 97 balls and including 13 boundaries.

It was Dilshan”s seventh one-day international century and his first against Zimbabwe. “I was really elated, both for the 100 and for our series victory to take home after a hard time abroad,” he said.

“We brought several youngsters with us for experience and they certainly benefitted. It was all well worthwhile.”

The run-out came with the score on 160 — Sri Lanka”s highest opening partnership against Zimbabwe in internationals.

Dilshan went for a quick single to Graeme Cremer at point, but when his wicket was about to be broken he kept going and fellow opener Upul Tharanga moved forward from the other end to sacrifice his wicket.

Tharanga produced another of his speciality supporting roles with 72 runs.

The match was killed as a potential spectacle after just a few overs of the Zimbabwe innings.

The home team prodded their way to 15-1 in seven overs and to 40-2 in 15. By comparison, Sri Lanka were 46-0 in seven and 88-0 in 15.

Tatenda Taibu was initially a culprit with only four runs from his first 22 balls faced, but he redeemed himself by becoming easily Zimbabwe”s top scorer with 71.

Their meagre 199 runs was soon overwhelmed by Dilshan and Tharanga, who gobbled up the Zimbabwe bowling with ease, if not quite disdain.

Wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor said at the presentations: “We actually worked very hard just to get here. Everybody did well in the series and we expect to move forward step by step from here.”

Home team captain Elton Chigumbura said: “We were put under pressure right from the start and just couldn”t get going early on. But we take a lot of pluses from the last two weeks.”

India, the other team in the Tri-nation series, will play Zimbabwe in two Twenty20 matches this weekend and on Thursday a game has been arranged for them against Zimbabwe A.

Zimbabwe beats Sri Lanka by 8 wickets

HARARE: An unbeaten 119 from opener Brendan Taylor led Zimbabwe to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the last preliminary match of the tri-nation one-day series on Monday.

More here: 
Zimbabwe beats Sri Lanka by 8 wickets

NZ through to Super Eights

PROVIDENCE, Guyana: New Zealand beat Zimbabwe by seven runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method in their rain-affected World Twenty20 match here on Tuesday.

Chasing n easy target of 85 runs, New Zealand were 36 for one in 8.1 overs when rain stopped play. Opener Brendon McCullum was batting on 22 with Martin Guptill (6) after Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya got Jesse Ryder out caught behind by Tatenda Taibu for 2.

Later, the match was awarded to New Zealand on D/L method. Thus the Black Caps became the first team to reach the Super Eights winning their both matches while Zimbabwe, beaten in their all two matches (both on D/L method) are out of the tournament.

Earlier, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 84 in 15.1 overs against New Zealand in their Group B match in the World Twenty20 here at the Providence Stadium on Tuesday.

After New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori won the toss and put Zimbabwe into bat, Zimbabwean openers Tatenda Taibu (21) and Hamilton Masakadza (20) provided a good start but as soon both were out others could not resist the attack from the Kiwi bowlers.

The only other batsman getting into double figure was Greg Lamb, who remained not out on 14 while the number of extras were 11.

Scott Styris and Nathan McCullum captured three wickets for five and 16, respectively while Vettori claimed two for 10.

The Black Caps retained the same side that beat Sri Lanka by two wickets in the tournament”s opening match on Friday.

Zimbabwe made two changes to the team that suffered a 14-run loss on the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-affected match against Sri Lanka here Monday.

Andy Blignaut replaced Brendan Taylor at the top of the order and leg-spinner Timycen Maruma came in for seamer Christopher Mpofu.

J’wardene ton steers Sri Lanka to 173 against Zimbabwe

PROVIDENCE, Guyana: Mahela Jayawardene hit a brilliant hundred to guide Sri Lanka to set Zimbabwe a difficult target of 174 runs in the World Twenty20 Group ‘B’ match here at the Providence Stadium on Monday.

Jayawardene became the fourth batsman in T20 international cricket, third in the World T20 and second in the current tournament to make a century.

The former captain, opening the Sri Lankan innings, scored exact 100 runs from 64 balls with four sixes and ten fours.

Jayawardene”s hundred came just a day after India batsman Suresh Raina scored 101 in a World Twenty20 group match against South Africa in Saint Lucia.

After captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and decided to bat first, Sri Lankan batsmen made 173 for seven in the allotted 20 overs.

However, only two Sri Lankan batsmen besides Jayawardene got into double figures. Thissara Perera made 23) and Chamara Kapugedera scored 13 as extras were 14.

Sri Lanka, who needed to win to qualify for the second round Super Eights after losing the tournament opener to New Zealand by two wickets, suffered a huge blow before play began when star off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a groin injury.

Suraj Randiv came in for Muralitharan and Thissara Perera, a medium-pace all-rounder replaced Chanaka Welegedara.

This was the first match of this World Twenty20 proper for Zimbabwe, who defeated both reigning champions Pakistan and Australia in warm-up fixtures.

Teams
Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (captain, wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Sanath Jayasuriya, Thissara Perera, Suraj Randiv, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis

Zimbabwe: Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza, Tatenda Taibu (wk), Craig Ervine, Elton Chigumbura, Charles Coventry, Greg Lamb, Graeme Cremer, Prosper Utseya (captain), Ray Price, Christopher Mpofu.

Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by 14 runs on D/L method

PROVIDENCE: Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe by 14 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method in their rain-affected World Twenty20 group match here on Monday.

Chasing a difficult target of 174, Zimbabwe were four for no loss when rain stopped the play which resumed later and Zimbabwe were set a revised target of 43 under Duckworth/Lewis method but they finished at 29, 14 short of the par score.

The only batsman Zimbabwe lost was Hamilton Masakadza, run out for four. Tatenda Taibu and Brendan Taylor remained not out on 12 and 13, respectively when the play ended.

Earlier, Mahela Jayawardene hit a brilliant hundred to guide Sri Lanka to set Zimbabwe a difficult target of 174 runs.

Jayawardene became the fourth batsman in T20 international cricket, third in the World T20 and second in the current tournament to make a century.

The former captain, opening the Sri Lankan innings, scored exact 100 runs from 64 balls with four sixes and ten fours.

Jayawardene”s hundred came just a day after India batsman Suresh Raina scored 101 in a World Twenty20 group match against South Africa in Saint Lucia.

After captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and decided to bat first, Sri Lankan batsmen made 173 for seven in the allotted 20 overs.

However, only two Sri Lankan batsmen besides Jayawardene got into double figures. Thissara Perera made 23) and Chamara Kapugedera scored 13 as extras were 14.

Sri Lanka, who needed to win to qualify for the second round Super Eights after losing the tournament opener to New Zealand by two wickets, suffered a huge blow before play began when star off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a groin injury.

Suraj Randiv came in for Muralitharan and Thissara Perera, a medium-pace all-rounder replaced Chanaka Welegedara.

Sri Lanka win toss, bat against Zimbabwe

PROVIDENCE, Guyana: Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and decided to bat first against Zimbabwe in their World Twenty20 Group ‘B’ match here at the Providence Stadium on Monday.

Sri Lanka, who needed to win to qualify for the second round Super Eights after losing the tournament opener to New Zealand by two wickets, suffered a huge blow before play began when star off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a groin injury.

Suraj Randiv came in for Muralitharan and Thissara Perera, a medium-pace all-rounder replaced Chanaka Welegedara.

This was the first match of this World Twenty20 proper for Zimbabwe, who defeated both reigning champions Pakistan and Australia in warm-up fixtures.

Teams
Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (captain, wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Sanath Jayasuriya, Thissara Perera, Suraj Randiv, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis

Zimbabwe: Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza, Tatenda Taibu (wk), Craig Ervine, Elton Chigumbura, Charles Coventry, Greg Lamb, Graeme Cremer, Prosper Utseya (captain), Ray Price, Christopher Mpofu

Umpires: Billy Doctrove (WI) and Ian Gould (ENG), TV umpire: Steve Davis (AUS)
Match referee: Alan Hurst (AUS)

Taylor century puts pressure on Bangladesh

Wicket Keeper batsman Brendan Taylor scored his maiden ODI hundred to put Zimbabwe as the favourites to win the fifth and final match at Chittagong.

Zimbabwe put into bat first were yet again in a hopeless situation at 113 for 7 but the Tigers had failed to take the one wicket that mattered which was of one down batsman Taylor. The right hander single handedly took Zimbabwe to a respectable 221 for 9 in the allotted 50 overs. Taylor remained unbeaten on 118 from 125 balls with 7 fours and 4 sixes. Elton Chigumubra was the next highest scorer with 38.

Abdur Razzak, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah picked up three wickets each. Bangladesh have already sealed the series in their favour at 3-1.

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Taylor century puts pressure on Bangladesh was first posted on November 7, 2009 at 1:51 am.